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More than 46,000 euros and 6,000 dollars were seized without declaring three passengers at the Bilbao airport

A joint operation by the Tax Agency and the Guardia Civil

  • The monetary seizures were made in the month of January and the first week of February
  • The travelers were reported to the Executive Service of the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offenses

February 15, 2023.- Officials from the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency together with civil guards from the Tax and Border Section of the Bilbao airport have seized more than 46,000 euros and 6,000 undeclared American dollars to three passengers on January 17, 30 and February 1 at the aforementioned airport.

The Customs Surveillance Service and the agents of the Civil Guard, who act as the State Fiscal Protection under the functional dependence of the Regional Customs and II.EE Unit. of the Basque Country, carry out, among other actions, daily inspections of passengers and luggage according to preventive risk criteria at the Bilbao airport.

The first operation took place on January 17 at the airport's customs control. While the agents were carrying out a tax inspection on a passenger from Bolivia, they found among his belongings, close to 6,900 euros and 6,000 US dollars. When the accompanied payment movement declaration document (E-1) was requested, the traveler responded that he did not possess it, so the money was seized.

The following two interventions took place at the terminal's boarding filter on January 30 and February 1, when two passengers destined outside national territory respectively carried an amount of money greater than the legally established amount without the aforementioned declaration. E -1.

In these actions, the civil guards found more than 10,200 euros in cash in the belongings of a passenger with a end-use to Pakistan, and in the luggage of a traveler with a ticket to Istanbul an amount close to 29,000 euros. None had submitted the proper declaration of payment movements to the authorities.

The three offenders were reported to the Executive Service of the Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Monetary Offenses, with the penalty they face being up to 50% of the value of the means of payment used. The seized money was deposited in the Bank of Spain.

Obligation to present Declaration of Movements of Payment Methods

Natural persons must previously make a Payment Method Movement Declaration when they carry out the following movements: 

  • Exit or entry into national territory of accompanied or unaccompanied means of payment for an amount equal to or greater than 10,000 euros or the equivalent value in foreign currency.
  • Movements through national territory of means of payment for an amount equal to or greater than 100,000 euros or the equivalent in foreign currency.

The declaration must be displayed, without prior request, before the Customs Services.